U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Festivities Scheduled For November 15th At House of Blues Dallas

Dallas, TX (11/5/12) – On November 15, 2012, the U.S. Forest Service with help from their nonprofit partner, Choose Outdoors will be bringing the US Capitol Christmas Tree (CapitolChristmasTree2012.com) to Dallas, TX and invites all people young and old to come celebrate this annual holiday tradition.

On November 2, the 2012 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree was harvested in the White River National Forest, near Meeker, CO. The tree was then wrapped and will be transported to Washington, D.C. on a custom-decorated Mack Pinnacle model truck which will be driven by former U.S. Senator, Ben Nighthorse Campbell.

The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree will to be on display at 4:00 PM, Thursday, November 15th at House of Blues Dallas. This stop will be one of many along the tree’s 23-day tour across Colorado and the country on its way to the nation’s capital. All festivities with the Tree are open to the public and free for all to enjoy.

As the Tree travels the country, it will carry a message about sustainable forestry as well as invite people to assist with raising funds for the Forest Restoration Challenge. This challenge was set up to help areas impacted by the massive wildfires which devastated areas near Colorado Springs and Fort Collins in the spring of 2012. Those interested in donating can text any dollar amount to 303-502-5858 then donors will then be ask for some basic information to complete the donation. In addition, Toys for Tots will be accepting donations of toys, and ROTARY will accept contributions of coats and nonperishable foods.

Festivities being held while the Tree is in town will include presentations by public officials, visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus, ornament decorating, and a free performance by Country singer, Lindsay Lawler, who is also the spokesperson for the Truckload Carriers Association’s Highway Angel program. Lawler will perform Standing Tall, the winning song from more than 300 entries in the Sing 4 The Trees songwriting contest.

Special events and opportunities to view the tree are being planned in every stop across the country. Santa and Mrs. Claus will also be traveling with the Tree so be sure to have the little one's bring their list so they can show Santa.

“We’re working with city officials and volunteers across the country to make the 2012 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree tour an unforgettable experience of both giving back and celebrating the holiday season,” said Bruce Ward, founder of Choose Outdoors.

Upon arrival in Washington, D.C., the tree will be placed on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol and decorated with more than 5,000 ornaments handmade by Colorado children depicting the tree’s theme, “Celebrating the Great Outdoors.” In early December, a tree lighting ceremony will take place and will be available for public viewing throughout the holiday season.

Costs associated with the tree's transportation and tour events are made possible by contributions by individuals, corporations and local communities. Major sponsors include the Colorado Tourism Office, Mack Trucks and The National Association of Convenience Stores and Randall Reilly Publishing.